Journey into Chrystan
by Queen Lu
Summary: Lucy goes to Chrystan and helps a girl. See what happens along their journey. Please Read and Review! ;
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note- I own any characters that are not C.S. Lewis's. Enjoy! Read and Review, please! =]**

Chapter One

I stirred, feeling a cold, crisp breeze pass over me. I turned over. I must be imagining things, for I was sleeping in Cair Paravel. There weren't any breezes. Well, not if there weren't any windows open, and I was most certain that the windows in my spacious room were closed. I huddled down into my covers, only to find that there weren't any covers. What? I lifted myself up and opened my eyes. Pushing hair out of my face, I discovered that I was I was in a wood. Startled, I jumped to my feet. I took in my surroundings. Tall, trees loomed above me. They weren't the trees of Narnia, though. How did I know this? Well, I guess you just know these things when you live in a certain place. Plus, I noticed that they had a golden tint to them. Narnia definitely did not have gold tinted trees. Leaves crunched under my feet, and shrub bushes were scattered about. How did I get to this strange place? And more importantly, where was I? I decided to explore. I had to find a way to get back to Narnia. I wandered for quite a while, when I found some berries. They were bright red, the most colorful thing I had seen the entire time I had been here. I reached hungrily for them, because my stomach had begun to growl. I stopped myself though, realizing that they could be poisonous. I sighed, and continued on. I would have to find my breakfast somewhere else.

After what seemed like an eternity, I was beginning to think I was hopelessly lost. Then I saw a small spiral of smoke rising up into the sky. Maybe some kind person would tell me where I was and perhaps could spare some breakfast. Or perhaps lunch; for the sun was now well into its journey across the sky. I came to a clearing, and spotted a small, shabby cabin. I walked closer, and then heard loud, rough voices coming from inside the cabin. They were angry voices, so I crouched down into some tall grass. I tried to hear what the voices were saying, but it was all jargon, because I was about ten yards away from it.

After a few minutes, the shouting stopped, and two soldiers wearing strange armor emerged and walked down a path to my left. I waited until they were out of sight, and then cautiously approached the cabin. As I moved closer, I could hear a girl crying. I peeked into a window and saw the girl on a small cot. You could hardly call it a cot, though. It was more like a wide bench shoved up against a wall with a dirty, torn sheet bunched up at the end. The rest of the cabin wasn't much better. The fireplace was crumbling, the chimney was lopsided, and it looked like it would topple over at any second. The walls had huge gaps in-between the boards, and sunlight filtered through. There were a few gaping holes in the roof, too. I was amazed that the cabin (you could actually call it a shack) was still standing. I decided to see why the girl was crying. I knocked once on the door and it fell over with a crash. I jumped back, startled. I looked at the girl apologetically. The girl looked up with wide, scared, green eyes. She had raven black hair that went down her back, and she looked disheveled. She wore what looked like a very fancy gown, but the deep emerald silk was smudged with dirt, and the once beautiful gold trim was torn in places.

"Who are y-you?" she asked, hurriedly wiping her eyes.

"I am Lucy," I said. "Sorry for knocking your door down. Who are you?" I decided against telling her I was a queen, considering I didn't know where I was.

"I am P-Princess Charlotta of Chrystan. What are you doing here?" she replied.

"Well...I was wandering through the woods, and I came into the meadow and saw your cabin. So I am in Chrystan, you say?" I answered.

She nodded; then sat down on the "cot". We were silent for a few minutes and then she spoke.

"I suppose you are wondering what a princess is doing in a rundown shack," she said bitterly. "And why two soldiers were yelling at her."

"That came to mind," I said. "But I didn't want to be nosy. Plus, I don't even know you. So you don't really have to tell me anything. But I was wondering...Can I help you somehow?"

"Thank you, but I'm most certain that a more...Well, a more _able _help will come." She said, waving her hand as if to dismiss my invitation. "But I can tell you why I am here, if you are interested."

"I would like that very much," I replied, my curiosity piqued.

"Well, Chrystan is on the brink of a war. You see, Chrystan is split into two regions. There is the East region and the West region. Each region has a king. My father is king of the West region. The king of the East region is Gollmere Hallenburg. Anyway, I have an older sister, Cornelia. Gollmere has a son whose name is Reginald." She paused. "Are you sure you wish to hear my troubles?"

"Yes, please, do go on, that is, if you don't mind telling a stranger your troubles." I said, hoping she wouldn't mind, because I was now intrigued.

"Oh, I don't mind. I haven't talked to someone for such a long time. Well, except for those rotten soldiers. Anyway, Reginald arrived at our palace one evening a few years ago and wanted to court Cornelia. Cornelia agreed, as did my father, and they went to a ball together and did a few other things. After awhile, Cornelia seemed to become bored of him. You see, Reginald is a stuck up brat. Not to mention that he is a drop dead bore. I don't see why she ever even bothered with him. If it were me, I would have said no right on the spot. She is just to kind and polite for her own good." She paused, a glower on her face.

"What does this have to do with your dilemma?" I asked, wondering why she was telling me about her sister's suitor. I could definitely tell that this girl had strong opinions and wasn't afraid to tell people about them.

She smiled a small, sad smile, and continued on.

"Sorry. Sometimes I get carried away. It does have to do with my story, though. So eventually he asked my father if he could have Cornelia's hand in marriage. My Father said no. He was smart enough to realize that Cornelia did not want to marry him, and was no longer interested in him. Plus, he didn't have much respect for the Hallenburgs. One of the last things he wanted was for Cornelia to become part of the Hallenburg family. Reginald was infuriated and stormed out of Father's chambers. The next day, he left and began the journey home. He had been staying at our palace. When he returned home, I suppose that he told his father and his father was enraged that Father had turned down Reginald's offer. He said my father had "insulted" Reginald, and the Hallenburg family, and therefore made a personal appearance to Father." "That was only the beginning of all sorts of different disputes. The last straw for Father was when Gollmere gave Cornelius, the General in his army, orders to kill Father's best friend and head advisor, Samuel. He ordered this because he said Samuel had supposedly tried to poison him. After he was killed, they found out that it was the cook, and Gollmere didn't show even a bit of remorse. Father was outraged and sad at the same time. After he grieved, he immediately declared war on the East Region. Gollmere somehow found out that I knew Father's battle plans, and had his men drag me here and force me to tell." She cleared her throat, and continued. "I refused to tell them. They beat me, and left me. I tried to escape that night, but they had left guards around the entire clearing, so they dragged me back here once again, and I was beaten again. That's pretty much the end of the story." She finished, her eyes now looking at her feet.

I stood there for a second, stunned. How terrible! How could anyone do this? But I did know how someone could do it. I had experienced evil before. "How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm not sure how long. But I do know it has been a long time, because the leaves have started changing colors. I am sure it has at least been a few months."

"Oh, that's horrid! Do they even feed you?" I inquired. "You look terribly paIe. I think I also have something to help your wounds," I said, reaching for the fire flower cordial around my waist.

"Yes, they give me bread and water once a day. Something for my wounds would be wonderful. They hurt horribly." Charlotta replied.

"Okay, open your mouth. All you need is one drop." I instructed.

She looked rather confused, but she obeyed anyway. I carefully poured one drop in, and instantly she relaxed.

Astonished, Charlotta asked, "The pain is gone! Completely! It feels as if the wounds disappeared! Did they?"

I looked at her back, and sure enough, there was no trace of the wounds. The back of her dress was shredded and covered in dried blood though. Of course, I wasn't surprised by what the cordial had done.

"Yes, they are gone. Would you like to wear my cloak, though? Your dress is torn very badly in the back." I offered, holding out my cloak.

Still amazed, Charlotta took the cloak, and put it on. "The only thing that can do that is the fire flower! Wherever did you get it? I have only read about them in legends. They are supposed to be extinct!"

I smiled, fondly remembering the memory of meeting Father Christmas.

"From Father Christmas some time ago. Anyway, how can I help you escape?" I asked.

Charlotta sat down again. She just ignored my offer to help. I was perplexed. She had dismissed my offer before, but I thought it was just because she didn't know me. Now she at least knew me a bit better, and she certainly needed some help. So why was she refusing?

"He said help would come, and you are definitely not the help. I mean, you are about my age, and you are a girl. I have to wait." She said.

"Who is 'he'"? I inquired.

"The lion that came to me in a dream. His name is Aslan. He said that help would come soon, and I have been waiting." Charlotta replied. "Look, I even made a carving of him." She held out a small, wooden lion.

Aslan! He had come to her in a dream? And he had told her help would come? Maybe that was why I had somehow magically come to Chrystan! To help Charlotta!

"Did you ever think that maybe.....maybe I am the help he said would come?" I asked softly.

**I know this first chapter is sort of slow, but I had to get my story rolling! Please keep reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I stepped quietly over the fallen front door of the shack, and I motioned Charlotta to follow. We crouched down low, and crawled on our hands and knees towards the back of the cabin. I searched the woods and anywhere else with my eyes, straining to see any soldiers. I finally spotted a few in the darkness. I concluded that there was only one in the direction we needed to go. If we could just sneak past him, we would be able to get away! I motioned for Charlotta to follow again, and we quietly moved through the weeds and tall grass of the clearing. When we were almost to the wood, I felt around for a small stone or branch. After locating a small, round stone; I threw it to my left, past the soldier. It hit a tree, and made a satisfying thump. The soldier whirled around, and moved in the direction of the sound. Quickly, I stood up, as did Charlotta, and we swiftly moved into the wood. We tried as best we could to avoid stepping on branches, but it was inevitable, as we were in a wood, it being also being dark. After a few minutes, I determined that no one was following us, and relaxed a bit.

"Are you sure this is the way?" I asked; wanting to make sure we wouldn't have to circle back around.

"Yes, I am most certain this is the way." She replied. "At least, I hope so. There is always the chance that we could get turned around in the dark."

"Oh. Well let's hurry. There still could be the chance that someone is following us."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I heard something behind us. I stopped and turned around. I saw the faint outline of someone behind us. I picked up my skirts and ran. Charlotta followed. Someone started chasing us, and I ran as fast as I could. Up ahead to my right, I saw something that looked like a small cave. I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled as silently as I could into the cave. Charlotta came a split second behind me, and we crawled as far back we could go. We pressed ourselves against the back wall, hoping that the soldiers wouldn't spot the cave as we had. We stood quiet for a few seconds, when we heard the soldiers approach.

"What's that over there?" one of the soldiers bellowed.

They moved toward the cave. I had to do something, or they most certainly would find us. My mind whirled. I felt around on my waist for something to throw. My hand touched the hilt of my dagger, and I swiftly pulled it out. I threw it as hard as I could; hoping it would clatter into something and distract the soldiers. It whizzed through the air, and clattered to the ground. The soldiers whirled around, and they hurried in the direction of the sound. They soon melded into the darkness. I held my breath, hoping and praying they wouldn't turn around and find us. All was quiet.

I slumped to ground, relieved. They hadn't found us. Not yet, at least. We sat silently for a long time. Finally, Charlotta spoke.

"Well...I think we're safe. I think it would be wise to stay here tonight, though."

"I agree. I do wish that there was something to eat though." I replied. I hadn't even had breakfast, or lunch; or even dinner for that matter.

"Here," she held out a chunk of bread. "I saved some of the food they gave me while I was there. Please, have some."

"Thanks," I said, taking the bread eagerly.

I took a bite of the bread. It wasn't the best, obviously because it probably had been sitting somewhere for a few days. But it still eased some of the hunger pains I had been having.

"Sorry I don't have anything else. I didn't exactly think I would be escaping tonight." Charlotta commented.

"That's okay. A little food is better than no food." I replied thankfully. "We should probably find something to keep us warm tonight. I don't think starting a fire would be wise, considering those soldiers are still about." I suggested.

So it was decided that I would go find something (I was not sure what) to keep us warm, as well as to search for my dagger; and Charlotta would try to find berries or something for us to eat. I was doubtful that she would find anything, since it was dark, but I guess it was worth a try.

After wandering for a while, I found my dagger, and I turned around so I wasn't going in the direction of the soldiers. I decided that I would bring back some leaves, moss and some prairie grass I had found growing. I picked as much as I could carry, and headed back in the direction I had come. I thought I heard something once, so I crouched down, but I didn't hear anything again, so I guess it was a squirrel or chipmunk. When I got back to the cave, Charlotta wasn't back yet, so I headed out to get more. I decided to stay nearer to the cave so I could watch for her. After I had collected what seemed like enough, started making a soft bed out of the moss (I hadn't found too much of that) but it helped anyway. Then I left the leaves and grass for us to "cover up" with.

When what seemed like at least a half an hour had passed and Charlotta had not returned; I was beginning to get worried. What if she had gotten lost? Or captured by the soldiers? Or what if.....What if she had left me here and had gone on home because she thought I was a hindrance or something? After all, I didn't really know her. I tried to push that thought to the back of my mind and all the other thoughts as well. I kept reassuring myself that she would come back, and eventually the exhaustion of escaping soldiers and being in a new land caught up to me, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lucy...Lucy, wake up."

A voice pierced into my sleep. I stirred; then rolled over. "Go away, Su." I mumbled before dozing off again.

"Su? Who's Su? Have you already forgotten my name?"

I sat up quickly, looking around. I sighed, remembering where I was.

"Sorry. I must have been dreaming or something." I said.

"That's quite alright. But who is Su?" Charlotta inquired.

"She's my older sister, Susan. We call her Su for short."

"Oh, that's lovely. I bet she and Cornelia would get along wonderfully! Who is 'we'?"

"Sorry. I also have two brothers, Peter and Edmund," I said. "They are both older. And I'm sure that Su and Cornelia would get along well, if they ever met."

"Maybe we could get them together sometime, after we get back to the palace." Charlotta suggested.

"Um...I don't think that would quite work out," I said.

"Why not? It would be fun to see each other again anyway."

"I just don't think it would work out." I replied. "Why don't we focus on getting out of this cave and getting you back to your family?"

Charlotta looked confused, and perhaps a bit hurt, but she agreed anyway, and we focused on how to get her home. We decided to walk (of course) and began on our way, eating breakfast as we walked. Breakfast was good, even if was only some berries of different shapes and colors. We walked for hours before taking a rest under a huge oak tree.

"How far do you think we are from some sort of village or city?" I asked.

"I'm not certain but..." her voice trailed off as she stood up and pointed. "I think there is a village not too far in that direction."

"Well then let's get going. Maybe someone there can tell us how to get back to your palace." I suggested. "Plus, we might even find a meal a little more nourishing than berries."

Charlotta agreed, and we started our journey again. After awhile, Charlotta spoke up.

"I just thought of something. People in the East Region aren't very friendly to strangers. We might have some trouble in this town. I suppose if we don't draw too much attention to ourselves, then we might get by without people becoming suspicious."

"Why wouldn't they like strangers? I mean, if they weren't stuck up or anything." I inquired.

"Well," Charlotta responded, "that's just the way people here are."

"Okay...What would happen if they did become suspicious? The worst thing they could probably do is throw us out of wherever we stayed, don't you think?"

Charlotta replied, "No they could definitely do a whole lot more; especially if the soldiers have been around asking about a young girl that has escaped."

"Oh. I didn't think of that." I responded. "I suppose we'll just have to be cautious."

We kept walking for awhile, when we came upon a town. It was a small town, with one main street, with various businesses and stables on either side. Small cottages were behind the businesses, scattered here and there. The cottages were neat, with straw roofs and a clay frame. Suddenly Charlotta stopped in her tracks and yanked me behind some nearby barrels. She motioned for me to be quiet, and we hunkered down behind them. I peeked out the side of one, and saw the reason for her alarm. Two soldiers were talking to a lady in the front of an inn. I leaned forward, straining to hear their words.

"Thank you so much for letting us stay at the inn last night for no charge, Ma'am. But I do have one last favor to ask of you." One of the soldiers said. "There is a girl that has escaped from his majesty's guards. Please keep your eyes open for her."

"Why of course. Anything for his majesty." The lady replied.

The soldiers got on some horses and rode away.

"What are we going to do? They probably have told the entire town to look for a girl. And if they get suspicious over just strangers, what are they going to do when two girls show up?" I whispered.

"I don't know." She groaned. "I guess we'll just have to get out of town before anyone has time to talk to us."

"Yes, but where will we go after we get out of here? It looks like the soldiers were headed in the same direction as we are." I said. "And we don't want to head the same way as they are!"

"I know, but that's the way back to the palace so we have to. We'll just have to avoid them somehow. Do you have any-"

"What are you two girls doing behind those barrels? Yer' supposed to be unloading them instead of sitting around yakkin'! Get ta' work!"

I stared at the round bellied man glaring down at us. He had dirty overalls, a smashed straw hat and scruffy, gray beard.

"Well, what are ya' waiting fer'? Get ta' work!!!" he yelled.

I jumped up as did Charlotta, and we started to unload various odds and ends.

"Sir, I think you have us-"

"Stop yakkin' and get back ta' yer' work! If ya' expect to get yer' bed and yer' meal tonight, then ya' hafta' work!" He yelled as he walked away.

"-mixed up with someone else." I finished, sighing.

"Do you think we should keep working or go find him and tell him he made a mistake?" Charlotta asked.

"Well...If we get a place to stay and a meal then we should just work." I replied.

"I suppose we could. And it would be a place to stay, plus people probably wouldn't think that I am the escapee because we are hired...Let's do it."

We worked on unloading the barrels for awhile, and when we were finished, went to go find the man whom we had talked to earlier. After he finished yelling at us to get back to work (again), we told him we were finished unloading. He told us that we could go to the inn and tell the lady there that we were hired hands for Hiram Clanrachar, and he would pay for our bed and meal.

We entered the inn, and I took in my surroundings. There were some wooden tables with benches in the front room, along with a blazing fireplace. The floors were dirt, and the roof was straw. The whole place had an earthy smell, along with the wonderful scent of dinner being prepared.

We walked up to innkeeper. She was a small woman with fiery red hair and striking green eyes. She looked up. "How may I help you?"

"We are the hired hands of Hiram Clanrachar, and he said that he would pay for our room and board here." Charlotta said.

"I'll go make up your beds. But I hope you two don't mind sharing a room. There's only one left." She walked briskly away, and before she disappeared into a dark hallway, she said, "Sit at one of those tables and your food will be served up in a couple of minutes."

We selected a table and sat down. Soon our dinner came, and we began to eat. It was what looked like a piece of ham, a hunk of bread, and some broccoli. A mug of water came along with it too.

"This is pretty good," I commented between bites.

Charlotta replied, "It tastes like gourmet food compared to what I have been eating for the last few months!"

By the time we had finished, the innkeeper had returned and told us that our room was ready. She led us down a dark, empty hallway to our room. The room was small, with a bed in the middle of the room. There was a tiny wooden table holding a clay pitcher and basin. And that was it.

"I hope it will be to your satisfaction. Have a good night." The innkeeper said.

"Well, let's get some rest. You don't mind sharing a bed, do you?" I asked.

"No, I suppose not. Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Charlotta." I blew out the lamp on the wall and climbed into the bed.

I snuggled down under the covers closed my eyes. I was exhausted and I quickly fell into a deep, blissful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I awoke with a start. Where was I? I felt around, and found that I was lying on a hard, dirt-packed floor. How had I gotten down here?

"Are you alright?" A voice came from above.

"Yes, how did I get down here?" I asked as I pulled myself up off the floor.

"You fell off the bed, Lucy. I must have been crowding you." Charlotta said.

"Oh that's alright. It is rather funny, you know." I started to giggle.

Charlotta started to giggle too, and soon we were laughing. We didn't stop until we realized that we might disturb other guests. We quieted down, and crawled back into bed.

"When do you suppose we should leave tomorrow?" I asked.

"I guess whenever we wake up." Charlotta replied. "And didn't Mr. Clanrachar say that he had one more job for us?"

"Yes, so I suggest we get some sleep, or we'll be too tired to work." I replied.

"Okay. I will try not to push you off the bed again!" Charlotta teased.

"That would be very much appreciated." I said, and fell back asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So all ya' hafta' do is put the candies in the glass jars. Do ya' understand?" Hiram finished explaining.

"Yes, of course." I replied.

"Then I will leave ya' to yer' work," Hiram said as he disappeared into an office. "And I don't want no yakkin' from ya'!"

We set to work putting candies into the jars. I had never seen any candies like these. They were all different colors, shapes and sizes. There were even some candies shaped like leaves!

"Wow. These are so cool." I commented, as I picked up a leaf shaped piece of candy.

"Really?" Charlotta replied. "I never really thought about it. I have always seen candies like this. Don't you have any like this from wherever you came from?"

"No. But I guess it doesn't matter anyway," I replied.

"STOP YER' YAKKIN' AND GET TO YER' WORK!!!" Hiram yelled.

I raised my eyebrows at Charlotta, let out a giggle and got back to work.

"He must wake up on the wrong side of the bed every day." Charlotta giggled.

I replied, "Probably." I finished putting an orange leaf into a jar and said, "We're finished. Let's go tell Mr. Clanrachar."

We told Mr. Clanrachar we were finished and went on our way.

"So where do we go next?" I inquired. "Do we just keep going in the same direction?"

"Yes, I believe so. Eventually we will get to a bridge adjoining the East and West regions. When we cross it, it will only be a few miles to the palace." Charlotta replied.

We walked on for awhile, when I realized something.

"Charlotta, aren't we heading in the same direction as those soldiers?" I said. "We'll eventually run into them."

"I guess we'll just have to figure out a way to get ahead of them." Charlotta replied.

We both began thinking of ideas, so we were quiet for awhile. We came upon a gorge, and Charlotta said that we would have to go down the cliff on a small, treacherous path. I was doubtful about going down, not to mention a little bit scared, but Charlotta insisted that the only way to cross the gorge was to go down the path to the bottom of the small canyon, and climb back up on another path. We started down the path with great caution. Charlotta said it had rained recently, so I guess that was why there were washed out spots and tons of mud. Each of us almost slipped a couple of times, but we made it to the bottom without any major incident. There was one slight problem though. The bottom of the gorge was a river of rancid, thick mud. We stood on rocks until we decided what to do.

"Charlotta, how exactly are we going to cross this river of mud?"

"We'll just have to wade through it. Come on."

After we removed our shoes, we proceeded to wade through the mud. It was up to our waists! And it was so thick that it must have taken us half an hour to get to the other side.

"Oh, do we smell!" I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust. "And look how dirty we are!"

Charlotta replied, "You have that right! Come on, I think there is a stream not too far from here so we can wash off some of this mud."

We started to ascend the path, lifting up our now muddy, stinky skirts. The going was slow because we had left our shoes off. When we were about two thirds of the way up, Charlotta started yelping and grabbing for her foot. She hopped around, and she lost her balance and tumbled over the side!

"Charlotta!" I screamed, looking franticly for her.

Thankfully, she had grabbed on to a stray root and was hanging on for dear life.

"Lucy! Help!!" she yelled.

I was down on my stomach when her hand slipped from the root, and she fell down farther. She grabbed onto a rock jutting out.

"_Hurry!!!_" she screamed, looking down at the sheer rock wall and the rocks that ominously poked out of the mud below.

I reached for her arm and grabbed it.

"Charlotta! Can you plant your feet on anything so you can push up?" I yelled anxiously.

"I think so." she said, while shuffling her feet around, trying to find a foothold. "There! I got a foothold."

"Okay, on my count, push up! One...Two...Three!" I cried.

I heaved her up and she grabbed the edge of the path and I half pulled and she half pushed herself the rest of the way up. We sat down, exhausted.

"Well, that was frightening." I said.

"Yes, very. Thanks for saving my life."

"You're welcome. What are friends for anyway?" I said.

Charlotta smiled and then we continued on, making sure to keep as far away from the edge as possible.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We finally made it to the top, and we walked for awhile to a stream. There was a lady there, washing laundry. She looked up when she heard us coming.

"Hello there! Come on over here!" she yelled, waving us over.

We walked over to the stream, greeted the lady and started to go into the stream.

"What do you two think you're doing?" the lady asked. "You're gonna get all my laundry dirty! Get on outta' there! What have you two been doing anyway? Wallowing with some pigs?"

"Sorry. We weren't thinking." I apologized. "Can we wash up after you're done?"

"Of course Honey. But you'll have to help me with my laundry first. It _is_ my stream after all. Just make sure don't get any of that mud on my clean laundry," She said.

"Okay...I guess we can help out." I said.

"Alright, just get that wet laundry on that line over there. And don't you go dragging it on the ground neither."

So Charlotta and I worked for awhile hanging up laundry. When we finally finished, Lucinda Sue (she had told us her name while we were working) gave us permission to use "her" stream.

"After you two are done washing up, come on over to the farm and I'll see if I can fix you something for supper." Lucinda Sue yelled over her shoulder. "And make sure you wash up good, because I don't want no mud on my clean kitchen floor!"

Charlotta and I washed up as good as possible, and then lay down in the grass to let the sun dry our skirts. Although the stream had taken away some of the stench, we were still pretty smelly. I looked up at the sky, watching the fluffy, marshmallow-like clouds float by. The birds chattered in the trees, and the prairie grass and wild flowers gave whispery kisses to my feet. The slight breeze played with tendrils of my hair, whisking them into my eyes. I was very tired, and when I closed my eyes to rest, I fell into a deep, blissful sleep. The next thing I heard was a loud voice.

"What are you two doing out here sleeping? There are beds in the house for that. Get on in the house for some supper and some rest." Lucinda Sue declared.

I jumped up, pulling Charlotta up with me, and hurried to keep up with Lucinda Sue, who was moving at a VERY brisk pace.

"Miss Lucinda? Do you think you could slow down a bit? It's not like we're in a rush or anything." I asked.

"It's Lucinda Sue. I won't have none of that 'Miss Lucinda' stuff going on. And no, I cannot slow down. Time is wasting! Now come on, move those little rear ends of yours and get on up here so I can talk to you." She replied.

We reached the farm, and I could tell that she kept everything in order. There was a pig pen, chicken coop, horse barn, cow barn, and who knows what else. Everything was neat and tidy, and she led us into the house. The kitchen was small, but it had a homey feel to it, so I guess it was okay. Just as soon as she told us to take a seat at the table, she bustled over to the stove and began to stir something in a huge pot.

"I got to make a lot of this here stew to serve to my hired hands." She commented. "I can't do all this farm work on my own, you know."

"Lucinda Sue, if you don't mind my asking, do you have a husband and kids?" Charlotta inquired.

"Well, my dear Howie died 'bout two years ago, bless his soul. But I do have one child. He's probably helping out the farm hands though. His name is Cole. You'll meet him when he comes in at supper though. Anyway, enough about me. How did you girls happen to get here?" she questioned, turning around and raising an eyebrow.

"We...Well, we decided...To go on a trip. Yes, a trip." Charlotta said.

"Uh-huh." Lucinda Sue said, hands on her hips. "I guess that's why you don't have no bags carrying your things that you would need for a trip. Something tells me you ain't telling the whole truth, but I guess it's none of my beeswax anyway." She turned back to stirring the stew.

I sighed in relief. As kind as this lady was, who knew if she would turn us in to those soldiers if she found out the truth behind why we were wandering around. She stepped out of the kitchen for a second, clanged a huge pot with wooden spoon, and then stepped back in.

"If you girls don't mind, could you start putting these bowls of stew over there on the table?"

She started ladling the steaming, delicious (at least it looked and smelled delicious) stew into bowls. I walked over to the counter where she set the bowls on the counter and starting bringing them to the table.

"Honey, could you get the spoons outta' that drawer over there?" she asked, pointing to Charlotta.

Charlotta swiftly moved to the drawer and started setting out the spoons. Just as I placed the last bowl of stew on the table, a herd of rowdy, dirty men started stampeding into the kitchen.

"Excuse me! What do you boys think you're doing? Get on back outside and wash up! Why do I have to tell you this every single night?" Lucinda Sue yelled, trying to direct them back outside.

Several "sorry ma'am's" were muttered as the men made their way outside once more.

"Goodness! You have ten hired hands? How do you pay them all?" Charlotta asked.

"Honey, I don't pay them. They get room and board and that's it. Well, I suppose I do give them some pocket change every so often. And besides, honey, I need all those hands. How can you expect me to run the farm on my own? "Now, you two run on upstairs and take turns using the washbasin up there. The wash in the stream only took away some of that mud. And the stench? Well, you two smell as if you've been sleeping in the pig pen!!! There's fresh towels and soap laid out for ya'." She said. "Oh, and I 'spose you will just hafta' wear those dresses again. I don't have anything you two could wear." And she went back to getting bread out of the oven.

Charlotta and I went through a hallway and then climbed the winding stairs to an open room with a few chairs, a small side table and a curtain with a washtub behind it. I decided to let Charlotta bathe first, so I grabbed a chair in the corner and sat down. My thoughts went to my brothers and sister. I missed them horribly. This whole adventure was exciting, and I was glad that I could help Charlotta, but I couldn't wait to see them again. I thought about the wonderful party we had held at Cair Paravel a few days before, and it made me even more anxious to see my family again. It had been a grand affair, with many creatures from all over. Mr. Tumnus, my dear friend; had been there, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. We had had a delicious feast, danced, and listened to a wonderful speech from my dear brother Peter. I had worn a lovely gown made of a wonderful aqua silk with long flowing sleeves, silver trim around the neck and hem, and twelve small, silver buttons down the back. I drifted off into my daydream, remembering that magnificent night, and the happiness of being with family.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After I had bathed, we had gone down for a delicious supper, and then had retired to bed early. Lucinda Sue had insisted that if we were to leave early the next morning; we needed good rest. I lay in a soft four-poster bed covered in a homemade quilt.

"Charlotta? Do you think we're nearing the end of our journey and are close to your palace?" I queried, now more anxious to return to my family than before.

"Hmmm-I suppose we're about two days away. Maybe a little closer, maybe a little farther." Charlotta replied, scooting herself up so she could lean on the headboard. "When we cross the bridge, it will take quite awhile. That is, if you don't want to fall off. You have to be very cautious. The bridge is very treacherous and old."

I asked hopefully, "Is there not another way to get across the canyon?"

"Not unless you want to travel about forty-five miles north of here and go across a stone bridge. And that would be terribly out of our way. I have crossed two times and both times I have obviously crossed safely." Charlotta answered.

"Well, I don't know. It sounds awfully-"

"You two young ladies need to get your heads back on those pillows instead of having them up in the air chitter chattering into the night." Lucinda Sue poked her head in.

"Yes Ma'am." We both said in unison.

I laid my head back on my pillow and closed my eyes. I could only hope that when we reached the time to cross the bridge, that Aslan would give me enough courage to do so.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Now you two eat this breakfast, and we'll be off." Lucinda Sue said, motioning to the hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and oatmeal.

"Did you say 'we'?" Charlotta asked.

"Yes, I did honey. Don't you go thinking that I'm gonna let two young ladies go wandering all by their lonesome. I don't know what trouble you have gotten yourselves into, but I am going to come along to wherever you're going to see that you get there safely. Now eat up." And she went back to packing a rather large satchel and picnic basket.

"Well, I guess that's that." Charlotta said.

We finished eating and were on our way by around eight. Lucinda Sue had put her satchel and picnic basket on top of a fat, brown mule, and it was following alongside her.

"What's your mule's name?" I asked, stroking behind his ears.

"Curtis. My dear Howie gave him to me as a birthday present eight years ago. Isn't he a sweet little thing?"

_I wouldn't call him little, I thought. But I suppose he is rather sweet._

We walked on through the prairie grass and wildflowers, when we came upon a wood. By then we had been walking for well over three hours, and Lucinda Sue declared it time for lunch. We sat down under a large oak tree, and Lucinda Sue set out lunch. There was potato salad, sandwiches, and fresh cookies. It was refreshing, and it lifted my spirits. Curtis even seemed happier after his lunch of grass and four cookies. I was beginning to realize why he was on the very chubby side.

Lucinda Sue packed up the lunch, and we entered the wood. It was instantly darker, with streams of light filtering through the canopy of leaves. A slight mist rose from the ground, and the air smelled light and earthy. It was a fresh change of scenery, but as we ventured deeper and deeper, the wood became more and more ominous. I also began to get the feeling we were being watched. I looked over my shoulder, and I saw a dark form swiftly moving in-between trees.

"Don't look behind you, but I think something's following us." I whispered to Charlotta and Lucinda Sue.

"What? Oh, I hope it's not one of those creatures." Lucinda Sue said.

"What creatures?" I asked, becoming more nervous by the second.

"They're nasty things," Lucinda Sue replied. "They are a quite a bit smaller than Curtis, and they have sharp fangs that give out a deadly venom. They are kind of like oversized otters. If we see one, just be calm, and hopefully it won't notice us. If it does notice us, then it will most likely attack. I have a stick, so just let me do the fighting if it comes to that."

We were all quiet, and I prayed that we wouldn't see one of the 'creatures'. I kept looking over my shoulder, and I could still make out the form moving swiftly along. It had gotten quite a bit closer, and I moved closer to Charlotta. We walked on and we had had no incident when we heard a bloodcurdling shriek, and something that looked like an oversized otter rushed towards us!

"It's one of them creatures! Stand back!" Lucinda Sue yelled, holding up a huge stick.

Charlotta and I scrambled backwards. I don't know about Charlotta, but I was petrified of this horrid little creature. Lucinda Sue began beating it with the stick, and it snarled at her. It lunged toward her leg, and latched its horrible little teeth into her flesh. Lucinda Sue jabbed her stick down on it, and it released its grip. She stabbed it three more times, and it lay on the ground, limp and lifeless.

"Are you okay?" Charlotta rushed forward to inspect Lucinda Sue's wound.

Lucinda Sue already looked deathly pale, and her face was twisted with pain.

"Hurry, let's get her onto Curtis!" Charlotta commanded, motioning me to come help get Lucinda Sue over to Curtis.

We got her onto Curtis after a few attempts, and we started walking to find help.

"How can we get the venom out? She'll die if we don't!" I asked frantically.

"Lucy! The fire flower cordial! Give her some!"

Of course! With all the commotion, I had completely forgotten. I removed the bottle from my waist, and then dropped a drop into her mouth. Lucinda Sue relaxed, and the color began to return to her cheeks. She sat up, and she looked astonished, just like Charlotta had been.

"Well! I don't know what kind of concoction you gave me, but it certainly did wonders. I still feel a bit weak, but the pain is gone!" she said.

I smiled, happy that she hadn't died, and that I could help. We kept going into the wood, with Lucinda Sue on Curtis, and Charlotta and I walking alongside.

"Do you think that..._thing_ was the thing that I saw following us?" I asked, hoping I was correct.

"I don't know. I suppose only you could decide that, since you saw it." Charlotta said.

"Well, I don't want to believe this, but I think the form I saw was walking on two feet." I said. Then leaning closer to Charlotta, I whispered, "Do you think it might've been a soldier?"

Charlotta whispered back, "It's possible. They might have left someone behind to watch for us. You know, we still have to figure out a way to get in front of them."

"What are you two whispering about? If you're gonna talk, talk loud enough so everybody can hear!" Lucinda Sue said.

I gave her a sheepish smile, and Charlotta gave me a look that told me we would finish this conversation later. After quite a long period of time, we were still in the forest, and the sun was almost down. I hoped we would reach the end of it soon, because I most certainly did not want to spend an entire night in this wood, especially with poisonous, vicious oversized otter creatures roaming around.

"We _will_ be out of here by nightfall, won't we?" I asked, straining my eyes to see if there was an end to this seemingly endless wood. "I really would rather not spend the night in here."

"We should be out soon. I don't seem to remember a wood going on for more than half a day in this area." Charlotta replied.

Up ahead, the trees dwindled until there was an open plain, with grass blowing freely in the breeze.

"Oh, thank goodness! We won't have to stay there through the night." I cried, very relieved. "But where will we stay the night?"

"Don't worry your head off, honey. There should be a town a little farther down that path over there." Lucinda Sue pointed to a well worn path to my right.

We began down the path, with Lucinda Sue and Curtis in the front, and Charlotta and I lagging behind. I looked back once more over my shoulder, and saw a dark form standing in the shadows near the tree line. I shuddered, and looked away, trying to forget we were being followed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I looked around the Creekside Inn. It was neat, with two long tables and a few small chairs in the center of the room. A staircase led upstairs to the rooms, and a door to the right led into what sounded like a kitchen. A tall, slender woman emerged from the kitchen and moved towards us.

"Well! If it isn't Lucinda Sue! How are you? You haven't been around these parts for quite some time!"

"Clementine! It's nice to see you! I am fine, thank you. How are you?" Lucinda Sue said, embracing the woman.

"Quite fine. And who are your pretty young friends?" Clementine replied.

"This is Charlotta and Lucy." She motioned to us.

I curtsied, as did Charlotta, and Clementine gave us an approving look.

"Are you here for the night?" Clementine inquired.

"Yes, we are. I would be thankful if you could have Paul put Curtis in your stable, if you don't mind." Lucinda Sue said, motioning towards the door.

"You still have that fat old mule? How old is he now?" Clementine said, grinning. "Yes, I will have Paul get to that immediately."

She talked to a short man, and then led us to a table. In a few minutes, she came back out and served us a meal of pork, green beans, and stewed fruit. After we had eaten, she led Charlotta and me upstairs to a nice room; and Lucinda Sue to one next door. After Lucinda Sue had gotten her things in her room, she told us to get to sleep and went back downstairs to talk to Clementine.

Clementine had very kindly left out some nightclothes for us, as we didn't have any, and I slipped into one. It was very cold in the room, so I hopped into the feather bed and pulled the thick comforter up to my chin.

"I wonder why it's so cold in here." I said, teeth chattering.

"I don't know." Charlotta said. "Perhaps it's because there isn't any fireplace in here." She hopped into the bed too.

I looked around the room, and that's when I noticed that a window was open. I walked over to it and closed it. My bare foot stepped on something slimy, and I stooped down to see what it was.

"What in the world are you doing over there?" Charlotta asked.

"I'm seeing what I stepped in." I said, brushing my finger across the stuff. "I think its mud. How did it get in here?" I was extremely puzzled.

I walked over to the small side table and lit a small candle. Two muddy footprints were by the window. They looked like men's. By now Charlotta was thoroughly interested and padded over to the window.

"That is very peculiar. Do you think someone is-"she sucked in a breath, "-in here?" she whispered.

I stood up, alarmed. I looked around cautiously. The only place that someone could hide was the large wardrobe by the door. I grabbed my dagger from the pile of clothes on the floor and nervously approached it.

"Lucy, what are you-"

I held up a hand, motioning for her to be quiet. I neared the wardrobe, and I threw open the door, dagger ready. The door banged into the wall, making a huge crash. It was empty. I sighed, relieved. Just then, Clementine and Lucinda Sue came bursting in through the door.

"What in the world are you two doing?! You are supposed to be sleeping!" Lucinda Sue said. "This is not the time to go exploring wardrobes!"

I said, "Sorry for the commotion. We were looking for someone."

"Now why would someone be in that wardrobe?"

"Well, you see, we found footprints by the open window." I replied.

"Nonsense. Now you two get yourselves back in bed." Lucinda Sue said, motioning towards the bed.

Charlotta and I scampered back to bed, and Lucinda Sue went out, shaking her head.

"Do you think someone was in here earlier?" I asked Charlotta.

"It's possible. But how would that person know we were here?"

"If if was the person or soldier that was following us earlier...Well, he would know we were here." I replied.

"That's a scary thought." Charlotta said. "We should leave as early as possible tomorrow. I need to get back to the palace soon."

"Alright then. I suppose we should go to sleep then, if we are going to leave early." I said, rolling over and closing my eyes. "Goodnight, Charlotta."

"Goodnight, Lucy."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Goodbye, girls." Lucinda Sue said, giving us big bear hugs. "I'm sorry I can't go with you the rest of the way. But last night a rider came and told us that my son Cole has taken sick. I need to go back and tend to him."

"It's alright. We understand. Of course you should go back and tend to him." I said. "I believe we shall get along just fine."

"Yes, and we both want to thank you for your kindness. You didn't have to let us stay at your house, or escort us this far. Thank you." Charlotta said.

"Yes, thank you ever so much." I added.

"Well, it was no problem. I was happy to help you. Now stay out of trouble." Lucinda Sue said, taking Curtis by his lead rope and started down the road.

Charlotta and I waved goodbye, and then started walking in the other direction. We decided to stay on the main road instead of looking for shortcuts. Although it would be a bit riskier because of the possibility of meeting up with the soldiers, we didn't want to run into any strange creatures. The road was long and winding, like a stream of dust. After awhile, the road faded and it was harder to stay on track. We were walking past a small cabin in a thicket when we heard voices up ahead.

"I told you that we shouldn't have stayed in that cabin last night." A gruff looking soldier said. "Now that girl is probably far ahead of us. We should have just kept walking most of the night. Gollmere is not going to be pleased if he finds out we lost her." The group of soldiers kept walking.

_Hmmm, I thought. They don't know that we are behind them._

Charlotta pulled me behind a bush, and I landed soundly on my rear end. I almost said ouch, but Charlotta clapped a hand over my mouth.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I guess we'll just stay here awhile and let them get ahead of us."

"But if they get ahead of us, won't they turn around at the bridge and come back the same way and discover us?" I said.

"Hmmm. I hadn't thought of that." Charlotta replied, accidently cracking a branch.

"What was that?" A soldier said, whirling around.

"You are just getting jumpy because of all those tales the cooky old man told us last night about creatures in the woods." Another soldier retorted, scoffing.

"No really, I heard something."

"If you insist we can go back and look around." The gruff soldier said, looking rather amused.

The soldiers were still quite a far ways away, but they were moving steadily towards us.

I whispered to Charlotta, "What are we going to do? They most certainly are going to find us!"

Just then, a dark hooded figure appeared and crouched down beside us. I nearly screamed, but the figure clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Be quiet. Follow me." A man's voice said. He got on his hands and knees and moved swiftly away. Charlotta and I hesitated, but the soldiers were closing in, and we had the choice of either meeting them or taking the chance of following this strange man. We already knew what the soldiers would do, so we followed the man.

"Aslan keep us safe," I whispered.

After what seemed like hours, (although it was probably only ten minutes or less) we stood up. The man led us to a cave, where he promptly disappeared into the darkness.

"Should we go in?" Charlotta asked cautiously.

I shrugged, reluctant to go into the inky blackness of the cave. Charlotta hesitated a few seconds more, and walked inside. She disappeared too, and I was left alone. After hesitating a few minutes more, I made a quick decision to follow Charlotta, and I stepped through the curtain of blackness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I stared into the blackness, letting my eyes adjust. I moved forward, and I obviously hadn't let my eyes adjust enough, because I stumbled into a rather large boulder, stubbed my toe, and slipped, hitting my head on it. I lay on the floor for a few seconds, my head throbbing.

"Ohhhh." I groaned.

Footsteps echoed through the cave, and someone stopped near me.

"Lucy? What happened? Are you okay?" Charlotta kneeled down, holding a candle close to my face. "Oh, you're bleeding. Here, I'll bring you back to Reid. Maybe he can help."

She helped me stand up, and I hobbled on my hurt toe down a small tunnel to a hovel in the back of the cavern. The man, who Charlotta had mentioned was Reid, sat on a rock, with a lantern in the middle of the room. The lantern cast eerie shadows on the wall, only adding to the foreboding feel of this cave. Along with the rock Reid was sitting on and the lantern, there was crude table shoved against a wall, with a bowl of berries and what looked like roasted fish on it. There was also a pallet made out of animal skins, as well as a small ledge holding candles and various other tools.

Reid looked up, and Charlotta said, "She hit her head on a rock, and I think she hurt her toe too. Do you have anything that will help?"

Reid nodded, and went over the ledge. He pulled out some muslin cloth, wetted it with water out of a pitcher, and handed it to me.

I pressed it on my head, hoping it would ease the pain.

Then he grabbed more cloth and laid it on the table. He pulled out a tiny pouch from under his pallet and grinded what looked like herbs on the table. Then he added water and put the paste on the cloth. He felt my toe, and I winced in pain. He prodded it a few more times, and then wrapped it with the cloth.

"This should help. I think it might be sprained. It should heal in a few days." Reid said, sitting back down on the rock. "Now would you girls mind telling me what trouble you've gotten into?"

Charlotta sighed, and then produced the story.

After she was finished, Reid sat back and raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm not sure if I'm inclined to believe you, but it does make an interesting story." He went back to carving something.

"I- I mean _we_ wanted to thank you for helping us get away from those soldiers," Charlotta said.

Reid nodded and said, "It wasn't any trouble. I actually have been following you for the past couple of days. I know that you knew that I was following you, but I was on my way back here, and I was a bit concerned about two young ladies and a woman wandering through those woods alone."

"That's a relief. I'm glad it was you and not someone else," I said.

"How do you know that I am not a spy for those soldiers and they are going to meet me here?" he replied.

I looked up, alarmed, and Charlotta looked rather sick.

When he saw that we were scared, he smiled and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you. I was just kidding."

I let out my breath, just now realizing I was holding it. Charlotta sat down on the floor, and fiddled with her dress. Reid stood up, and he brought over the berries and fish from the table. He poured water into small clay cups and handed one to Charlotta and I.

"Would you like some lunch?"

"Sure," Charlotta replied, taking some berries from the bowl. She declined the fish, as did I.

"Sir, I'm just curious, but why do you live in a cave?" I inquired.

"It's a rather long story and I don't really want to talk about it," he replied rather gruffly.

I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of water.

"We can't wait here much longer. We need to get you to that bridge. Lucy, I think you will be able to walk. I think we can set out later tonight."

Charlotta nodded, as did I, and we sat in silence. Soon we all dozed off, save Reid, and slept peacefully until Reid woke us up.

"Come. We need to get you as close to that bridge as possible before morning. Then we will travel again tomorrow night," He picked up a small pack grabbed the lantern and led the way through the cave.

I gingerly walked on my toe, and it wasn't too painful as long as I walked on the side of my foot. We came out of the dark cave into the crisp cool air of the night.

The moon shone brightly, and the stars twinkled, dusting the sky with glitter. The leaves rustled, and the grass swished against our legs.

"It's so beautiful," I breathed.

"Yes, this time of year in Chrystan is lovely," Charlotta said.

"Shhh," Reid urged. "We don't want those soldiers to hear us if they are still in the area."

We walked along in silence, until the sun peeked over the trees. Reid motioned us to follow, and he led us to a hole in the ground with bushes and grass hiding it.

"We will rest here until evening and then-"

Suddenly a snarl came from the right, and a pack of those things we had encountered earlier with Lucinda Sue appeared.

Reid jumped up, and grabbed a bow from under his cloak. He pulled an arrow from a quiver, and shot it at the things. He repeated this over and over with amazing speed, and soon they were all dead. Only two or three had reached him. He kicked them under a bush, and retrieved his arrows. He cleaned them, and then turned back to us.

"As I was saying, we will rest until evening and then start out again." And then he hunkered back down into the hole, and seemed to fall asleep.

I couldn't go to sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I was very tired, but sleep wouldn't come. The daylight pierced through the bush, letting in heat. Bugs swarmed around, making an awful buzzing noise. My head ached, and I felt weak. Finally I stumbled out of the hole, and I decided to try to find water.

I looked around cautiously, and then ventured in the direction of a stream. I found it after a few minutes, and took a drink. I felt refreshed, and my headache didn't hurt quite as bad. Suddenly I heard voices, and I hurried back to our little shelter. I shook Reid, and he woke.

"The soldiers! They're coming! We have to leave," I said.

Reid shot up and woke Charlotta. We scrambled out of the hole and went into the woods. We walked along hurriedly; scared the soldiers would find us. I kept looking behind my shoulder, terrified the soldiers would be upon us in any minute.

After a very long time, the sky darkened, and the approach of dusk was upon us. Or at least, that's what I thought.

"A storm is coming," Reid said. "We have to hurry. The bridge is close. We have to cross it before the storm, or I am afraid that we will be stuck on this side, and the soldiers will see us."

We picked up our pace, and we finally reached the end of the woods. We went into a meadow, and we could see the great bridge. It was still quite a ways off, but every minute we were drawing nearer.

With each step, I became more scared. I did not want to cross this bridge, but I knew I had to. The bridge looked rickety, ancient, and like it was going to fall apart if even a feather touched it.

"Are you sure it's safe to cross it? It looks like it will fall apart," I said nervously.

"Safe? No. Is it possible to cross it? Yes," Reid said. "We will have to use upmost caution when we cross."

I looked at him, and gulped. I didn't know how I was going to have the courage to cross this thing.

We walked on and on, and we finally reached the bridge. The sky was dark, and clouds boiled vigorously in the sky, getting ready to let down a vicious storm. The trees blew in the wind, and the bridge swayed.

"I really don't think we should cross this thing!" I cried as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"We have to! Hopefully the storm will hold off until we have crossed!" Charlotta said.

"She's right, Lucy. The soldiers will come out of the woods at any minute. If we don't cross, then we will get captured," Reid said.

I nodded and tried to be brave, but tears of fear were already stinging my eyes.

Reid stepped on first, testing each board. I went next; and Charlotta after me. I stepped fearfully on a board, and cautiously and slowly moved my way along, clinging tightly to the rope railing. The rope went completely across the whole bridge, with ropes tied down to the boards every three to four feet. There was definitely enough room for a person to fall through.

When we were a third of the way through, the soldiers appeared in the meadow.

"There she is!" they shouted, rushing towards the bridge.

We picked up our pace as much as we could without putting ourselves in more danger. To make matters worse, the storm decided to let it's fury down just then, and the bridge swayed. Torrents of rain soaked us, and thunder and lightning cracked and boomed in the distance.

"Aslan save us!" I cried out, terrified.

We moved on when the bridge wasn't swaying as much, and clung on for dear life when the wind rattled and shook the bridge angrily. The boards had become slick because of the rain, making it easier to slip and fall.

The soldiers were moving swiftly towards the bridge.

As we moved on, I slipped on a board, and I slid to the edge of the bridge. I desperately tried to grab on to a rope, and I grabbed one. Charlotta screamed as I slipped completely off the bridge, with one hand holding on to a rope, my body and legs dangling over the deep black gorge. Reid whirled around, and grabbed for my hand. He brushed my fingers just as they slipped, and I screamed as I helplessly fell into the deep depths of the gorge.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It was black, and I fell weightlessly. It seemed to never end as I spiraled downwards, and I began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. Small points of light pierced my eyesight, and I blinked, trying to clear them away. The lights only got bigger, and they swirled around me. Different colors of light blended in, and I was sure I was hallucinating. Suddenly, all the lights went out and the colors disappeared. I tensed myself up, waiting to crash to the bottom of the gorge and die.

But that horrible, anticipated crash never came. Instead, I found myself lying on a soft mattress, fully alive and well. I sat up and looked around. I was back in my lovely room in Cair Paravel.

I blinked, trying to make sense of it all. Had I really fallen, and had I even actually gone on that journey? Or had I just dreamt it all, and I had just woken up? I got up off of my bed. I winced, a sharp pain shooting through my toe. Ouch. I concluded that I really had gone to Chrystan. Otherwise I wouldn't have a hurt toe. Plus, I noticed I was in my dress, and my cloak was missing. The fall into the gorge must have led to some sort of portal and had put me back here.

I went to the looking glass on the wall and freshened up. I slipped on a fresh dress and went downstairs to go see my sister and brothers. As I walked through the beautiful halls, I took in the wonderful feeling of being home again. True, my journey to Chrystan had been both intriguing and exciting, but it was wonderful to be home again.

I entered the dining hall, and was greeted by my siblings.

"Good morning Lu."

"Well, look who it is. Miss sleepyhead," This of course came from Edmund, who was jesting.

"Come on in and eat," Peter invited.

I took a seat, and the servants served omelets, fried ham, toast, scones, pastries, coffee, and tea. We began eating, and we discussed certain things about the kingdom. Then the conversation changed to our dreams last night, and I told them about my journey, even though it wasn't a dream.

"So Aslan called you to help this girl, Charlotta?" Peter asked after I had finished.

"Yes," I replied.

"I think that is really neat that He would call you to help," Susan said. "Wasn't the fall off the bridge terrifying? And were you hurt?" she looked concerned.

"Yes, I was petrified. Crossing that bridge and falling off was one of the worst experiences of my life! No, I wasn't hurt. Not on the bridge anyway. I did stub my toe and bumped my head on a wall though."

Susan nodded, and we went back to eating.

Later that day we took a walk, had tea and had taken a short rest. I could not rest though. I was troubled. I still didn't know if Charlotta and Reid had gotten safely back to the palace. Had they fallen off the bridge? Or had the soldiers overtaken them and captured them? These questions swirled in my head as I stared out the tower window at the now golden sea, since the sun was setting.

I changed into an evening gown and met Peter, Susan and Edmund in the dining hall. There was a guest that night, and Peter and Edmund were in deep conversation with him. Susan and I sat quietly, waiting until the boys and the guest were finished eating. We were dismissed, and Peter, Edmund, and the guest; Timondor, headed towards the library and Susan and I went for a walk by the sea.

Dusk was bearing upon us quickly, and the sun was a huge orange ball in the sky. Waves rippled gently, rushing gracefully towards the shore. Susan and I removed our shoes, and we walked barefooted in the warm sand. Our skirts danced lightly in the breeze, swirling around our legs.

We walked in silence until Susan spoke. "Dear sister, you look troubled. You aren't your usual lighthearted self." She stopped and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Well," I looked up at Susan. "I am worried about Charlotta and Reid. I don't know if the safely crossed the bridge, or returned to the palace either. I just can't get them out of my mind."

"I don't know how you would find out Lu," Susan said. "But I know that you are the most kind and caring person I know. Just trust that Aslan will deliver them if they didn't get away safely."

I don't know how, but I suddenly felt calm. Susan's words had helped a lot, and I smiled up at her. "Thank you, Susan."

Then I ran down the beach. "Try to catch me!" I called to Susan.

Susan smiled and raced after me. We ran down the beach, and the waves lapped at our feet. Susan tripped, and fell on her backside right into a wave. She sat there for a few seconds, and then started to laugh. I sat down right beside her and we giggled together. A huge wave came up behind us, and soon we were soaked. I shrugged, and I waded further into the ocean. Susan followed, and we splashed each other. After awhile, the sun had set and the moon had risen in the sky. Stars twinkled, and the breeze blew over us. Suddenly we were freezing, and we walked back to the palace.

"Go inside and get a hot bath," Susan said in a motherly way. "I had fun tonight, Lu. See you in the morning."

"I had fun too. Goodnight!" I said, as she went down the hall.

I walked to my chambers and took a nice, warm soothing bath. Then I climbed into bed. I drifted to sleep with Susan's laughter in my ears.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_In an open plain, I stood under glittering stars. I looked about me, wondering what I was doing here. Suddenly a great lion was in front of me. I ran to him and cried, "Aslan! Oh, you're here! It is wonderful to see you again!"_

"_As it is to see you again, Lucy, daughter of Eve." Aslan replied._

"_But...Why are you here?"_

"_You have been troubled, have you not?" Aslan replied gently._

"_Yes. I am worried about Charlotta and Reid."_

"_Ah, yes. Charlotta. The girl you helped," he paused before continuing. "You were very valiant."_

"_Thank you, Aslan."_

"_You need not be worried anymore, young one. Your friends Charlotta and Reid safely crossed the bridge and returned to the palace. All is well in Chrystan, for now. It was good to see you again, Queen Lucy the Valiant. But now I must depart. Goodbye, young one." He faded, and so did the stars and the plain._

"_Aslan wait!"_

I sat up, and looked around. I had seen Aslan again! And he had told me that my friends were safe. I smiled to myself, and snuggled back down in the covers. I once again fell into a happy dream filled sleep.

The End


End file.
